Mouth-brace.



N0.-854,898. PATENTED MAY 28, 1907.

H. LORENZ. MOUTH BRAOE.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.28. 1907.

FIG'.|. FIG.2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

. D a W UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

MOUTH-SHADE.

Specification of Letters l atent.

Patented May 28, 1907.

Application filed February 28,1907. Serial No. 359,798.

To (LZZ whom, it nut/y concern:

Be it known that I, HANS LORENZ, a subject of the Emperor of Germany,and a resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mouth-Braces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mouth braces, and particularly to deviceswhich are used to regulate the degree to which a persons mouth should beopened for the proper production of certain tones, or for access to themouth.

In the drawings z-Figure 1 is a side view of the device Fig. 2 is a rearview; Fig. 3 is a view of the opposite side to that shown in Fig. 1 Fig.4 is a side view of a modified form of the device yand Fig. 5illustrates the application and use of the device, as shown in Figs. 1to 3. p

A bar or post 1, usually rectangular in cross-section, is offset at oneend 2 and a fork 8 is formed thereon. Said fork is of such size as tofit with reasonable closeness over either the upper or lower front teethof the average person. A block 4 is slidably mounted on the bar 1, and afork5, similar to the fork 3, is carried on an arm 6 which is fixed to,or formed integral with said block. The forks 3 and 5 have theiropenings directed in opposite directions. A set-screw 7 holds the block1 and the fork 5 at any desired point on the bar 1. On one side of thebar 1 are marked characters indicating the vowel sounds used in singing,and on the opposite side are graduations 8, consecutively numbered(Figs. 1 and 8). The graduations may also be marked 011 the rear edge(Fig. 2). The marking may be placed on any suitable part of the bar.

The method of using the device is clearly illustrated in Fig. 5. Whenthe block 4 has been placed at any desired position on the bar 1, andfastened there by means of the set-screw 7, the person desiring to usethe device places it in his mouth and closes his upper and lower teethinto the forks 3 and 5. Then his mouth will be open exactly far enoughto produce a certain vowel, such for instance, as 6.

An instructor in voice culture, knowing the horizontal width of a pupilsmouth, may make out a schedule or table for the pupil to follow in usingthe device. Thus, a pupil having a mouth two and one-half inches widemight be required to set the block 1 at 1 1 on the bar 1, in order togive the correct opening of the mouth for the vowel 6, while for a pupilwith a mouth two and three-quarters inches in width it might benecessary to set the block 4: at another graduation to give the correctposition for the production of the same vowel.

In Fig. i a modification is shown, in which one arm 9 of the fork 3 ishinged at 10, and is pressed inwardly by a flat spring 11, so that theteeth and gums may be gripped more firmly than with the solid. fork. Thefork 8 when thus constructed is made longer, as shown. Both forks may beconstructed in this manner, if desired.

The device maybe used bydcntists or surgeons for maintaining separationof the jaws.

hat I claim. is:

1. In. a mouth brace, the combination of two parts movable one on theother, one of which parts is graduated means for fastening the partstogether at different points of position, and two forks, one carried byeach part, and having their openings directed in opposite directions.

2. In a mouth brace, a bar, a block sliding on said bar, means forfastening the block and bar together at differei'it positions, and twoforks, one carried by the block and the other carried by the bar, andhaving their openings directed in opposite directions.

3. In a mouth brace, the combination of two parts movable one on theother, one of which parts is graduated, means for fastening the partstogether at different points of position, and two forks, one carried byeach part, and having their openings directed in opposite directions,one or both of said forks having one arm movable and spring-actuated.

' 4. In a mouth brace, a bar, a block sliding on said bar, means forfastening the block and bar together at different positions, and twoforks, one carried by the block and the other carried by the bar, andhaving their openings directed in opposite directions, one or both ofsaid forks having one arm inevable and spring-actuated.

HANS LORENZ.

l/Vitnesses:

D. Gunmen, L. THoN.

